Rebels to enter Gaddafi town without fight as convoy arrives in Niger

Published September 6th, 2011 - 07:27 GMT

Libyan rebel forces intend to enter the pro-Gaddafi town of Bani Walid on Tuesday after reaching a deal with representatives from the town to avoid fighting.

Libyan rebel forces intend to enter the pro-Gaddafi town of Bani Walid on Tuesday after reaching a deal with representatives from the town to avoid fighting, Al Jazeera television said. Citing the anti-Gaddafi forces, it said the fighters were expected to enter the city after the deal is finalized.

Meanwhile, a huge convoy of Libyan armored vehicles escorted by the Nigerian military arrived in the northern Niger town of Agadez late last night. According to Reuters, the convoy included between 200 and 250 Libyan military vehicles and featured officers from Libya's southern army battalions, and likely crossed from Libya into Algeria before entering Niger, sources told the news agency.

The French military source said he had been told Muammar Gaddafi and his son Saif al-Islam might be considering joining the convoy en route to Burkina Faso.

A French military source said he had been told the commander of Libya's southern forces, General Ali Khana, may also be in Niger.